


A Troll Who Didn’t Purr

by NiuNiu



Category: Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Comfort, Fictober 2019, Multi, One Shot, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, stricklakerot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 12:01:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20929892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NiuNiu/pseuds/NiuNiu
Summary: Every troll purrs when happy. If not, there's something wrong with the troll.Stricklakerot. Fictober 2019





	A Troll Who Didn’t Purr

**Author's Note:**

> Stricklakerot ficlet for prompt "Yes, I'm aware. Your point?"  
This is not proofread as I couldn't find myself a proofreader.  
But I love Angor Rot a lot so that compensates lol.

“Blinky! Blinky!”

A storming sound of running feet accompanied the loud cries of Blinky’s name. It all started so suddenly Blinky almost fell from the small stool he was standing on in front of his bookshelf.

Three human teenagers rushed the room.

“Ah, Claire, Toby and Master Jim. What with this ruckus? Is something wrong?” Blinky asked, deciding it was perhaps the best if he came down from the stool on a steady floor.

Claire had a big book in her arms. It covered almost half of her body.

“We were cleaning the storage, just like you asked, and found this”, she said, lifting the book up to get a better hold of it.

Blinky peered down at the book. It was red, very dusty and clearly very, very old. His eyes brightened.

“Ah, The Complete Guide to Troll Cultures by Rogney-Ragney Wisepants!” he breathed, delighted. “So that’s where I had put it. I was wondering where it was.”

“There was so weird info in the book”. Toby patted the book’s cover. “Show him, Claire.”

Claire carried Rogney-Ragney Wisepant’s book to Blinky’s table, pushing it further from her. The front cover was so heavy she had to open it with both hands. Jim was next to her going through the pages to help her out.

“Here!” Jim said, tapping the brownish yellow page with his index finger. “It says here that trolls purr.”

Blinky at the other side of the table looked baffled. “Oh, but yes, they do. Rogney-Ragney wrote that book centuries ago so some of the troll customs have changed – the same happens in all cultures – but all trolls are capable of purring.”

The kids looked at one another. Toby’s eyebrows knitted together.

“Then why we haven’t heard it?” he asked.

“Young Tobias, trolls purr only in special occasions. Either, when they are very happy and content, or when they are hunting for cats,” Blinky explained, smiling.

Toby’s frown just grew deeper.

“Oh,” he sighed, “I have not heard Aaaaargh purr so does it mean he’s not been happy around me?”

“Aaaaargh is… different,” Blinky said, rubbing his four palms. His eyes were concerned. “What he was put to go through when he was a small whelp… It changed him. Unfortunately, Aaaaargh never learned to purr.”

“So purring is not a natural behavior?” Claire looked at Blinky.

“No, not at all. It needs to be learned, just like any language or a form of communication. Nevertheless, all trolls are able to purr and will do that when they are extremely happy and content. Aaaargh is just rare exclusion. But please, do not bring it up when he is around. This is a sensitive subject to our beloved friend Aaaaargh.”

“Would you say that trolls purr with their partners?” Jim asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

Blinky nodded.

“Yes, though it depends a bit of a troll culture when purring with a partner is accepted and when not. There are regulations, different courting methods, some waiting times and---”

“I got it!” Jim hastily stopped Blinky, before he would start a twenty-minute lecture of troll purring. “Thanks, Blinky.”

* * *

Walter could hear footsteps behind his back. He recognized them immediately and looked over his shoulder to see Jim approaching him during his dishwashing turn.

“Strickler, can I ask something?” Jim leaned against the kitchen counter next to Walter.

A faint smile appeared to Walter’s corner of a mouth. His eyes returned to the delicate wine glass he was cleaning.

“Of course. Shoot me, Jim.”

“It’s kinda like… man to man?” Jim circled, searching his words.

“Trust me: I have heard many man to man talks during my very, very long life,” Walter said, giving a quick soft look at Jim. “You can talk to me about anything and ask about anything.”

“Well,” Jim took a deep breath. “I spoke wit Blinky earlier today. Turns out trolls purr.”

“Yes, they do.”

“They purr when they are very happy and content, especially with partners.”

“Uh-huh, and when they hunt cats for a dinner”, Walter added, finishing cleaning to wine glass and reaching out for a new one from the debts of the foaming water.

“It’s just, that you and mom look really happy---”

“---But I don’t purr?” Walter finished Jim’s sentence. Jim nodded.

“That’s because I’m a changeling, not a troll. We can’t purr. Did Blinky tell you that purring needs to be learned?”

Jim inspected Walter’s face and thought he saw a hint of melancholic sadness in his eyes. Jim straightened his posture.

“Yeah, he said that. Makes sense. You grew up with humans.”

“As one of them. Humans do not purr, so I have not learned it.”

“Can you learn as an adult?” Jim asked and got a shake of a head from Walter as an answer.

“It needs to be learned when you are small. I’m afraid my chances for that are long gone,” Walter chuckled, but the small hint of sadness didn’t leave his eyes. Jim cleared his throat and reached to pat Walter on his upper arm.

“Thanks. I needed to hear that. It means you and mom are genuinely happy.” He did his best to give Walter a reassuring smile. “And I think mom likes you, whether you purr or not.”

Walter smiled softly back at Jim.

“To be honest, I don’t think I’d be that comfortable with such a trollish behavior. I’m happy to show my affection to my loved ones with other ways – like doing dishes and looking after the house while Barbara is at work.” Walter gestured the full sink.

Jim rolled his sleeves up.

“Want help?”

“Please. I’d be delighted.”

* * *

“Mom. Did you know that trolls purr?” Jim asked when Barbara was leaving his room.

“Purr?” Barbara asked, turning back to Jim at the door frame.

“Yeah. I heard about it from Blinky. Though Strickler doesn’t purr because he is not a full blood troll.”

“No. I didn’t know. Interesting. It makes them sound a bit like cats, doesn’t it?” Barbara mulled the thought over. “Very, very big and stony cats!”

“Oh yeah and Aaaaargh doesn’t purr either, as he never learned to purr,” Jim continued.

“They need to learn that?”

“Yes, like any other language,” Jim nodded at Barbara.

Barbara rubbed her chin, humming. Her arms crossed over her chest as her chin pressed down. Then her chin rose up as she pushed her head backwards, letting out a long, thoughtful hum.

“I have never heard a troll purr, but perhaps someday I can hear that. I want to hear if it sounds like cat’s purring or if it’s different”, she said, sounding so serious it made Jim chuckle.

“I’m sure you hear it someday, mom,” Jim said. Barbara smiled at him.

“I look forward to that. But now, bedtime, young man. You have a school day tomorrow.”

“Friday!” Jim rejoiced. “Just one more day and then it’s weekend!”

“The more reasons to go to bed. The sooner you fall asleep, the faster tomorrow arrives”, Barbara said, pointing her finger playfully at Jim. Jim groaned, but couldn’t hide his grin.

“Mom, I’m not first grader anymore.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” Barbara said, slowly closing Jim’s room’s door.

“Goodnight, mom.”

Jim crawled under his duvet, snuggling his body into a comfortable position. He closed his eyes and thought what he should do on the weekend. Perhaps a movie evening at Claire’s home. Or a game evening with Toby. Or perhaps he could learn more how to use knives at fights with Angor Rot.

Suddenly, Jim’s eyes shot open.

Angor Rot!

* * *

Angor Rot was sitting at the backyard of Lakes’ house, carving something with a great detail and care. Jim padded next to him, wrapping a blanket tighter around his body to shield himself against the too crispy fall night.

“Boy, it is a night. You should be in bed,” Angor Rot said, never lifting his case from his craft.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he lied.

“If you think I will cast a spell on you so that you fall asleep, forget it. My spells aren’t really that kind and good for peoples’ bodies.”

“No, I just wanted to ask something. I think I’ll be able to sleep after that.”

That seemed to get Angor’s attention. His head rose up and he turned slowly to look at Jim; his hands still frozen halfway into a cut through the carved figure. He waited.

“Ah well,” Jim began, shifting his weight from a leg to another. “Now that you live here together with Strickler, mom and me, I take that… you are happy here?” Jim asked hesitantly.

Angor’s lips parted in a surprise. He composed himself quickly.

“Yes. This is a good house. You are a good son. Strickler and Barbara are good mates and I do my best to be worthy of being their mate,” Angor replied.

“Well, uh… Mom said that she has never heard a troll purr…” Jim said quietly, looking at his feet.

Angor’s yellow eyes widened. He turned his head away from Jim with a stern expression. He grunted.

“Yes, I’m aware of that. Your point?”

“…My—My point? No point really,” Jim stammered, sensing it was not a good idea to ask more about the subject. “Just… purr for mom once. Someday. If you are happy. And if you want to do that, that is!” he quickly added.

Angor didn’t say anything. Just returned back to his craft. Jim rubbed his neck, feeling awkward.

“So, uh. Goodnight?” he tried, feeling how his cheeks were getting red from the awkwardness.

“Like I said, I will do my best to be worthy of Barbara,” Angor said, keeping his head turned away from Jim.

Something in the way Angor said that made Jim think that maybe purring was hard for him. Perhaps Angor was like Aaaargh who never learned to purr, or perhaps his culture was like Strickler’s changeling culture where purring had no role in. Jim had a sense it was perhaps the let the subject go, so he gave Angor a small smile and a positive nod.

“OK. Speaking of mom, I have to slip back inside before she spots me out here. Goodnight.”

“Sleep well, son.”

* * *

“Blinky, can trolls stop purring?” Jim asked. His eyebrows had knitted deeply together and drawn a line over his forehead. Blinky stopped on his tracks to a sock snack bar and turned to face Jim.

“It is possible, Master Jim. Purring is semi-autonomous behavior and trolls can control it in some levels. Like if you get hungry, Master Jim, you can stand your hunger until it is the best time to eat. Trolls can do that with purring. Just like with food, some trolls are better at controlling themselves than others what it comes to purring.”

Jim looked up at Blinky’s face, concerned.

“But what if the troll doesn’t purr at all? Like Aaaargh but with an ability to purr?”

“You mean that if the troll chooses not to purr?”

“Yeah, even when there was no reason for that, let’s say, the troll culture norms”, Jim replied, pushing his hands down to his jeans’ pockets. “It’s something bad, isn’t it?”

Blinky’s all eight eyes had a worried expression in them.

“Well, it is possible with a traumatic event, Master Jim. I know that humans can lost an ability to speak after a traumatic life event. Trolls can lose an ability both to speak and purr in a similar situation. Usually speaking returns first, if both are lost, but even if the troll kept their ability to speak after being badly hurt, they often lose their ability to purr. Purr is heavily related to relaxation and peace, so it is natural for a troll with a trauma disorder or other trauma related problems not to purr in any circumstances,” Blinky explained, watching how Jim’s face darkened the longer he spoke.

“Can a troll with a trauma get their purring back?” Jim inquired.

“Positively, but every troll has their own healing time based on the severity of the trauma and their natural resilience.”

Jim nodded, smiling a bit too weakly to cover his worry from Blinky.

“Thanks for the answer. I suspected something like that.” 

* * *

A few months later from the day Jim had spoken with Barbara about the troll purr, Barbara and Strickler thought they heard Angor Rot purr faintly while he laid on his side in the bed between them. First, it sounded like soft snoring, but when the sound didn’t have a steady rhythm like a snore – instead, it ran as a one long line – they knew it was a purr.

Small, faint, barely audible, but a purr, nevertheless.

They took a look at one another over Angor’s relaxed body. Barbara couldn’t hide a small giggle and Strickler had to compose his face back to a poker look when Angor’s eyes shot open and he glared at Strickler.

“What?” he barked, his face towards Strickler and back to Barbara.

“No-nothing. I think just think this bed is still a bit too tiny for us three. Isn’t it, dear?” He stretched his neck to look at Barbara, who was clearly enjoying the tiny purr with a warm smile on her face.

“Definitely!” Barbara agreed, patting Angor’s shoulder. “I think we should add one more extension to the bed for us all to lay here comfortably.”

Angor shifted a bit. “I can do that tomorrow,” he said, still purring underneath his breath.

“No, not you. We all. Let’s do it together,” Barbara said.

“Absolutely! Troll nest building is a job for all the mates, isn’t it?” Strickler was nodding. His eyes directed at Angor’s face. “You don’t have to do everything alone. Not anymore. Ok?”

Angor averted his eyes and nodded.

Barbara was sure she could pick up Angor’s purring getting slightly louder.


End file.
